Action research on teaching and assessment for learning service learning for english majors at thu dau mot university

Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University Service Learning for English Majors at Thu Dau Mot University Nguyễn Hoàng Tuấn Nguyễn Kim Hải Faculty of Foreign Languages Thu Dau Mot University Introduction The Service Learning Project for English Majors at Thu Dau Mot University is a form of experiential education The purpose of this project is to help students see the connections between their service experience and the school curriculum Students will also learn how to transfer knowledge and skills from one setting to another More importantly, this is an opportunity for students to strengthen their character and enrich their emotional life The project is voluntary in nature At the pilot stage, 28 senior students in the Foreign Language Faculty participated in the project under the supervision of the Student Union leader who is also the faculty lecturer Two teachers of English who have been working in the hospitality and tourism industry are invited to give feedback on the students’ reflection writing Preparation and orientation Classroom based preparation includes a session on the concepts of service learning and the benefits it brings to the students and the community, discussion on the implementation plan and the responsibilities of those who are involved in the project including the faculty members, voluntary teachers from other institutions, and the English majored students who are going to take a six-week internship Students were also asked to respond to the following questions: What is service learning? What are you looking forward to? What are you nervous about? What you think you might learn from this project? One student defined service learning as “a social activity to help poor children and some poor workers who are facing with school fee problems and staying in [a] low living condition in Thu Dau Mot city” With this definition in mind, students were oriented toward teaching the homeless/poor children between the ages of and 15 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University The participants consider their task as a “mission’ and they find it necessary to equip themselves with teaching methods and knowledge of the target language and psychology A survey of the organizations for the homeless children in Thu Dau Mot city (Binh Duong province) is conducted to identify those organizations that need help There are 12 English classes in the following communities in Thu Dau Mot city: Phu Loi, Phu Hoa, Phu My, Phu Tho, Phu Tan, Tan An, Hiep Thanh, Chanh My, Dinh Hoa, Hoa Phu The training workshop conducted by a faculty member empowered them with confidence The training workshop lasted morning sessions focusing on teaching children the four language skills using the textbook titled Super Kids Implementation of the project The pilot project was carried out in weeks in Thu Dau Mot city Through service learning, students experienced many different states of emotion They felt scared at the idea of delivering their first lessons as reported in their reflection writing “I was so nervous when I joined this program I will take a chance to a new position which I never had before I not know [whether] the children like me or not I wonder how I am able to cope with if the children not come to my class, and how I deal with them if my teaching method does not work” After the first lesson, they felt a little bit confident and they were able to focus on solving problems in the classroom “…Spending the first two days teaching the students, I feel so strange and confused I need to study more about the psychology to keep up with their mind Moreover, I need to use new teaching method to make them enjoy their class Besides, the children [are] sometimes good, but sometimes too naughty, [which] made me confused I not know what method I can use to control all of their emotions.” Classroom observation and feedback Classroom observations reveal the fact that the internship students are very devoted to their teaching tasks as it can be seen in the time and energy they spent making teaching aids and hand -made gifts for their children To them, service learning does not mean simply a form of internship It means something more than that It is a wonderful opportunity for sharing and caring “The special thing today is my teacher, Mrs Hai, spent one hour observing my class I as well as my children felt so nervous However, we eventually cooperated well, which makes my lesson successful It sounds so good for my attempts.” Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University Feedback on students’ reflection writing also indicates progress in their communicative performance Their final reports are the result of hard work and patience that deserve highest grade Here are some photos taken from our classroom: Figure Testing time Figure Learning time Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University Figure Break time Learning outcomes  Meet a recognized community need: The students were aware that many children need help Through their personal communication with the project coordinator, they expressed their surprise at the fact that there are too many poor children around them Being excessively protected by their parents, they missed the chance to observe life It’s fortunate that they joined the project and thus knew more about the society They felt that it was their responsibility to help the children with love and care “They hope that I will teach [them] in long time Because some teachers just taught them [for] two or three weeks and they not teach anymore They worry about that They make me love them and love this work With this class, I think I need to teach them [with] love and care They need my love I won’t try to work I will work by my heart.”  Achieve curricular objectives: The students were required to keep their teaching journals Through reflection writing, their writing competence was Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University improved Students also met many writing objectives while completing their internship report  Reflect through the service-learning experience: The students were encouraged to reflect on the project through class discussions, journal writing, and social networking  Develop student responsibility: The students developed responsibility by choosing the activities that they found relevant to the learners’ needs and by organizing fund raising activities  Establish community partnerships: The project coordinator contacted the local authority to maintain continuity of the project  Equip students with knowledge and skills needed for their future careers: Students learned about how to cope with emerging situations: “I am afraid how many letters they can remember because they not only study but also sell lotteries In fact, they don’t have free time to review what they have learnt on the previous day Moreover, there are some children [who] are in grade [….] They only speak out what they think in their mind incorrectly because they can’t remember anything I think this is the most problem I need to find out another method to help them remember new words easily.”  Enrich their emotional life: “It was surprising that we received roses from Cò And at that time, we knew the reason why he was late Actually, we didn’t know what to say, we just know to give many thanks to him and his parent […] I felt happy not because of the rose but because of his heart.” Conclusion Through this project, students strengthened their communication skills while discovering their personal power to make positive changes in their communities Motivation, communication skills, leadership, and compassion increased through various service-learning activities Students should be placed in challenging situations so that they can move from observation to experience to leadership The important thing is to help them make adjustments at various stages in the process As one student remarked, “This is an experience for me I learned to observe and know how to improvise in many different situations This is really necessary for me later The way I see things around me will make other people more interested and can help [make] my image more beautiful in the eyes of other people.” It is also important to maintain on-going faculty-guided reflection to challenge the students to analyze their new experiences Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University AWARENESS OF SILENCE IN VIETNAMESE CLASSROOM Nguyen Thanh Xuan Faculty of Foreign Languages Thu Dau Mot University Abstract This paper research draws out several ideas and beliefs about reticence in language learning context which is challenging to teachers during the teaching process Though silence has involved in almost every classroom situation, this aspect of education has not been significantly exploited Therefore, in this paper, by using the questionnaire, interview and observation methodologies, we would like to explore several factors influencing language learners’ silence Besides that, two dimensions of silence, positive and negative sides, are also represented in our overall finding When considering silence as basic drawbacks in learning, we acquire several suggested solutions that help students break their silence as well as teachers’ classroom activities that encourage students’ talking participation In the theme of silence in language education, some learning strategies are mentioned and well described to the contrary Introduction The economic renovation policy, pursued by our Government, has enhanced the need for English-speaking people who are expected to be able to communicate fluently with the people from other countries in the world and to collect new technology English has been compulsory in school textbooks According to the Prime Minister’s Decree, issued in 1995, all the Government officers have to be competent to communicate in English However, English language teaching in our nation, because of its low quality, has not met the need for competent English – speaking people in the new social context In fact, Vietnamese teachers show their great interest in new methodologies, learner-centered one at the beginning, but later they return to traditional way, teacher-centered one Which factors make teachers head back to their traditional ways? There are a variety of reasons: a load curriculum; over-sized classrooms, lack of technology advances… Especially most of them attribute their lesson success to their students’ participation In particular, teachers sometimes try to break the ice, but learners are too passive to accept in English classes What is more, most learners just keep silent in the classes and just learn what Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University teachers provide, which makes the communicative teaching and learning method fall in vain Thus, is silence important? Is it good or bad for teaching and learning language? In this paper, we discuss to what degree such a communicative approach fits Vietnamese pedagogical contexts on the basic of an analysis of four facts: first, internal and external factors which consist of positive and negative effects; second, teachers’ and learners’ perspective on silence; third, learning strategies due to learners’ silence; and last, suggested solutions for negative effects of silence The conclusions we will draw are that the pedagogical contexts in Vietnam are both supportive of and constraining to communicative teaching practices and that to make English teaching responsive to the needs of Vietnamese there should be some macrochanges as well as the methodological mediation in silent classes Literature review A great number of linguistic researchers and experts have had various definitions, concepts and viewpoints of silence in language classroom In my opinion, the learners remain silent in class because of internal and external factors Internal factors First of all, learners’ intra-personal intelligence, self smart is one of internal factors that effects on the silence of language learning (Ken Petress, 2001) The learners who are strong in this intelligence need times alone for writing, getting deep into books and thinking much more than giving speech or participating in class activities Intra-personally sharp learners will suffer from socialization and communication, so they always remain silent even they seem to be absentminded, slow or inactive although they have deep knowledge Balas (2000) pointed out, silence does not mean that learners lack of knowledge, so the silence of these learners is the positive way to learn, to think, to remember and to complete what they want to access effectively as Picard (1948, 1952) claimed that “silence is nothing merely negative; it is not the mere absent of speech, it is a positive, a complete world itself” (p.1) Dauenhauer (1980) claimed that “silence in its own right can be seen to make a positive contribution in the scope of the meaningful” (p.104) Besides, each individual has different learning styles Intra-personal intelligent learners are interested in silent learning way because they firmly believe that silence as a means of participation and keeping silent in speaking class is also a learning style Meyer (2007), Meyer & Hunt (2004) suggested that learners find silence is a way of cognitive engagement with course material and some learners prefer to so rather than participating orally It certainly makes intuitive sense that some learners may learn more by listening to class discussion than by contributing comments orally Similarly, Nakane (1970), Dwyer & Heller-Murphy (1996) highlight the preference of Japanese learners who remain silent because “silence in the speaking class is also one ways of learning styles” On the other hand, some learners think that the speaking Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University learners know nothing, but the silence learners know everything as Kalamaras (1994) reiterated Lao-tzu’s observation that “those who know, don’t talk and those who talk don’t know” (p.218) In general, the intra-personal intelligent learners prefer thinking much more than what they have ever said, they are involved in deep thinking while they just seem totally inactive to us, their teachers, and their peers This personality shapes their silence learning style in language classroom Next, another internal factor that influence on the silent atmosphere in language classroom is the learners’ reticent personality These learners have tendency to keep silent, refuse to participate or talk to their peers, their teachers They especially prefer self isolate from learning communicative According to the article “The Ethics of Student Classroom Silence” (Ken Petress, 2001), the reticent learners are less likely to apply, extend, or transfer what is learned than are non-reticent learners The reticent learners are typically self-absorbed and needs compassionate, but insistent, encouragement and enablement to participate Because of this reticence, they consider silence as the most powerful learning styles as Picard (1963) “the silence man seems to be more powerful than the speaking man, silence seems more powerful than the language; but silence has this power only because it is from silence of the language comes, because it contains language ” (p121) Last but not least, the learners who remain silent in language classroom by other characteristics as Ken Petress (2001) included : (1) anxiety- the learners feel so nervous or worry so they cannot speak out any word, (2) low self esteem - learners who think of themselves as unworthy or unable tend to remain silent out of shame; (3) fear of being ridiculed should they inappropriately or inaccurately respond unfortunately, such fears can manifest themselves in self-fulfilling prophesies where a learner knowingly answers or responds inappropriately thus validating their fears; (4) fear of success - this occurs when a learner interacts successfully; self-attributes their success to luck or accident; (5) to avoid conflict - inexperienced, shy, or less competent communicators rely upon silence in avoiding conflict scenarios Similarly, Hu & Fell-Eisenkraft (2003) break silence in four themes: “silence as a result of being shy”, “silence as a result of not having correct answers”, “silence as a result of unfamiliarity with talking to learn” and “silence as a result of lack of confidence in speaking the English language External factors Together with the internal factors as mentioned above, the external factors much less have influence on the silence of learners in language classroom First, different culture is one view to interpret silence in classroom as considered cultural approach which points out the culturally different understanding of silence (Hu & FellEisenkraft, 2003) This view point also support by the research of Kato (2001) He reported that cultural differences in learning styles between Australian exchange learners in Japan and their Japanese counterparts in Australia contribute to different styles of participation Japanese learners tend to remain silent in class more than Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University Australian learners Two opposite points of view while Australian learners are consider the silence of Japanese learners “immature” since they “do not express their opinions”; Japanese learners consider Australian learners’ verbosity as “immature” because “they always express clearly what they want” Scallon (1985) and Giles et al., (1992) have shown that silence is associated with the negative values in Western culture (lack of interest; unwillingness to communicate, rejection; interpersonal incompatibility; shyness) Johannesen (1974) noted that the meaning of silence varies one culture to another “the roles assigned to silence in human communication vary from culture to culture” (p.27) For example, Forestier (1998) quote mainland Chinese learners as saying that “our culture is very different from western culture, we are always taught to obey not to invent”, learners just listen, obey and keep silence, refrain speaking out In Vietnam, many learners remain silence in classroom because they have been deep influenced by cultural tradition as our ancestors ever claimed the important of silence as “silence is golden” or we just give speech when you know clearly something, if not, keep silent and listen to “the cobbler should stick to his last” This makes learners become more passive and unconfident in class participation Besides, the Vietnamese tradition of having a deep gratitude towards teacher, the important role of teacher “no guide, no realization” or teacher autonomy, is also a factor that controls the learners’ speaking activities Next, learners are silent in class because of class organization, inappropriate circumstances and learning strategies Like Pond, Goldstein, Schecter (2003) & Losey (1997) argued that Mexican-American learners keep silent in class because of classroom organization They a research with Mexican American learners studying in a college in Central California by exploring educational, historical, educational, economical factors and found out learners’ levels are various such as the level of community, of the college, of the classroom, and of the individual “focal” learners These varieties are proved that the silence of Mexican- American learners emerged from the structure of interaction between teachers and learners in both the course of assignments and in class talks Interactions provide “few opportunities to offer opinions on topics of interest or importance to them” Finally, biological sex, degree level and class size are some ways that influences participation and classroom interaction as Fassinger (1995, 1996) has been found learner sex is considered a significant component of learners’ participation He and his colleagues concluded that “chilly classroom climate” existed for female college learners (Fassinger, 1995, 1996 & Jone, 1997) and some previous studies showed that males in the classroom are also more orally active However, Howard ad Henney (1998) found little support for the “chilly climate” hypothesis as females and non-traditional learners participated more than did males and traditional learners To the degree level and class size, Aulls (2004) showed that participation varies by experience, the age of learners, the course level, and the class size Due to the nature of course, instruction methods, and previous classroom experiences common in undergraduate and graduate programs, degree level of class may have connection to the engagement styles Specifically, comparing Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University to the undergraduate courses, graduate courses often tend to be smaller in size, frequently use discussion-based instructional methods, and require learners to orally participate The size of a class may directly influence the amount of learners’ participation As the size of the class increases the amount of learner participation decreases (Constantinople, Cornelius & Gray, 1988) METHODOLOGY Research participants and locations Due to L2 learners’ significantly different perspectives, there is a need to assemble data from numerous environments including high school and language centers in HCM city in order to get accurate appraisal The interviewers include not only 3-5 year experienced teachers but also 15-22 year-old learners in this research All questions for questionnaire, interview, observation and discussion are in the same thread The objective of changing questions for an appropriate format is to be authentic of this research In particular, questionnaire should be designed following to the norm so that the statistic can be obvious Questionnaire In order to collect facts and figures, questionnaire is our top priority It is designed to get explicit ideas from native teachers (8 questions) and Vietnamese teachers (7 questions) Besides, there are also two more thought-providing questions The items in each question are responded to following four – point – scales: Yes No Other reasons No opinion Through questionnaire, we are taking a profound interest in the way how teachers observe their silent learners and the workable solutions as well These question papers are delivered and collected within two weeks, each learner and teacher has approximately three minutes to complete the questionnaires Interview Apart from this, interview is also extremely taken into consideration There are thirty- one people participating in our two main interviewed groups encompassing 10 Vietnamese teachers and 24 Vietnamese learners Thus, there is highly polarity by diverse ideas why learners remain silent and what solutions should be deployed to break silence in the language classroom We paid attention to interview because we are inclined to believe that Vietnamese teachers prefer oral communication to written form in sharing their own professional knowledge on learners’ silence Moreover, Vietnamese learners were willing to express their concern about this special field Approximately seven minutes is used to interview each teacher and learner so that they can freely express themselves The period of time is three weeks respectively Teachers’ experience in classroom observation and discussion 10 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University B Pair and group work When your teacher corrects an exercise, there is an answer you not agree with (s) he but most of your classmates agree You will A ask (s) he to explain it again B ignore and accept it Part III: Which words describe you closed? A Fast but careless B Slowly but careful When you meet a trouble you usually solve it A Quickly B Carefully When you are asked to make a decision A you give it at once B you think carefully before giving your answer When you read an article you like to read it A fast in order to get general idea B slowly in order to get detailed comprehension When you are taking an exam A you will try to finish it as soon as possible then leave the exam room B you will it carefully and check it as many times as possible 137 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University A REPORT ON APPLYING BOPPPS MODEL FOR DESIGNING A LESSON PLAN OF TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN COMMUNICATION Nguyen Anh Ngoc Faculty of Foreign Languages Thu Dau Mot University ABSTRACT BOPPPS acronym stands for components: (B) Bridge in, (O) Objective/ Outcome, (P) Pre-assessment, (P) Participatory Learning, (P) Post assessment, (S) Summary BOPPPS assumes that learning occurs when students are given specific interventions (participation) to elicit desired behaviors (outcomes) that can be measured (assessment) “ BOPPPS model is a way of organizing a lesson in order to ensure that the session engages learners, is relevant, builds on previous learning and support learning transfer The six components have proven to be very useful in designing and developing lessons When all the components are considered, instructors can be creative in how they ordered the components and, in some cases, combine them .” (www.slais.ubc.ca/index.php/BOPPPs-Model) Based on the benefits of BOPPPS model, the writer suggests how to apply it in designing a lesson plan of teaching English in generally and English Grammar – Simple past tense in particular I INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW (ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/DLiT/2004/13DLT/TeachMethodologies.htm) There are many models for designing lesson plans in teaching English as a foreign language As far as I am concerned, a lesson plan is the instructor’s road map for what students need to learn and how it will be done effectively during a class time 138 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University In fact, Teachers have to know their final destination before starting a class BOPPPS model is a good starting point for lesson planning as it provides a simple map for pre-class organisation In addition, this model is really helpful to those who are new to teaching and assists in structuring classes According to the handbook of Introductional Skill Workshop (ISW) held at Thu Dau Mot University on 17 January 2016, the focus of the workshop was on teaching participants how to design lesson plans, develop and deliver effective lessons with BOPPPS Model, a simple and initiative lesson planning guide as the followings: 1/ Bridge in (B): This is an introduction to the content of the lesson which has to be covered Teachers can gain students’ attention by sharing a story, showing evocative multimedia, posing thought - provoking questions, having students pose questions, etc Therefore, teachers ensure students are ready to participate in activities enthusiastically Bridge in –step helps to build students’ motivation and explain why the lesson is important 2/ Objective/ Outcome (O): Statements that describe what skills, knowledge and/or values students should develop and demonstrate It means that sharing with students what is covered at the end, making students and teachers focus on the purpose of lesson, ensuring that students understand what is expected and when the learning has been accomplished, establishing a foundation for the evaluation of the learning 3/ Pre- Assessment (P1): Helping students make sense of new information by relating it to what they have already known or experienced about the topic of the lesson so that teachers can choose teaching level or approach Teachers can ask students some questions about their previous experiences, concepts, understanding or use a short activity that demonstrate skills, knowledge and/or values 4/ Participatory learning (P2): This is body of the lesson where students are involved as actively in the learning process as possible There is an intentional sequence of activities of learning events that will help students achieve the specified objective or desired outcome There are two types of participatory learning such as interaction between the instructor and the learners, interaction between the learners themselves For direct instruction, teachers can use present terms, give examples, use multimedia, demonstrate, etc From Guided practice to independent practice, teachers can give feedback and provide students with activities, models, questions and answer, etc 5/ Post Assessment (P3) Test or receive learning artifacts to see if the desired learning outcomes (O) are achieved, finding out what students have learnt about the topic, how well students did, how teachers know learning occurred, how teachers measure it 139 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University Teachers can use some strategies for post-assessment such as quizzes, tests, reflections and journals, worksheets and textbook questions, diagrams, short essays, projects and assignments 6/ Summary (S): By summarizing what was taught and potentially foreshadow the next lesson, it also provides an opportunity for students to reflect briefly and integrate the learning during the closing of the learning cycle It helps students internalize the new knowledge, skills and values It connects to life, course, program and career Teachers can use such summary methods as paraphrasing main content, creating outlines or concept maps, giving examples of application in career and life II A REPORT ON APPLYING BOPPPS MODEL FOR TEACHING ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN COMMUNICATION (PEDAGOGICAL GRAMMAR) Data collection: Title: Simple past tense in English Time: periods (90 minutes) Participants: D14TQ02, a class of 40 second -year Vietnamese students who are studying English as a foreign language at Thu Dau Mot University All of them are at pre-intermediate level in English Background: Students can have some basic knowledge of Grammar, but they are poor at listening and speaking On the other hand, they cannot apply grammar in communication Students needs English for their study, their certificate in English and their future job To them, speaking skill is very important, but most of them are afraid of speaking in the target language because of losing face when speaking inaccurately Teaching aid: a lap top, a projector, a screen, pictures, video clips Approach: communicative approach, BOPPPS model 6.1 Bridge in (8 minutes) - I showed a video clip of the English song “Because you loved me” of the singer, Celine Dion and asked the students to watch and identify the main verbs of the song Most of them are in simple past form - The students could tell some verbs of the songs such as loved, stood, made, brought, had, gave, was, saw, could, helped, lifted, reached, etc -Some more questions of the song were asked as the followings: “Do you like this song? why/ why not?” “Which sentence you like best? Why?” 140 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University “Can you retell us some sentences of the song you still remember?” “Have you got a sweet heart/ lover?” “What did he/she give you?” “What tense are you going to study today” -I asked the students to look at the verb forms of the songs again, then asked “How are the forms of the verbs” Rationale: The topic of love always arouses students’ interests Moreover, the lyrics of this song are really meaningful The students of my class were much interested in this song and very enthusiastic in finding out the form of the verbs in the song They felt excited and cheerful when answering my questions related to the song This bridge - in step made the students eager to start the new lesson 6.2 Objective/ outcome (2 minutes) I showed the outcome of the lesson on the screen and put it on the corner of the blackboard to make sure all of the students knew what they had to achieve at the end of the lesson The outcome of the lesson was to enable the students to identify and use simple past tense for developing their English speaking and listening skills 6.3 Pre- assessment (P1) (10 minutes) - I asked the students some questions in simple past tense to assure how they could use simple past tense in communication “What did the man in the song for the woman?” “Where were you yesterday?, What did you at that time?” “Did you go travelling last summer vacation?” “What did you want to become when you were a child? “ “Did you use to cheat in the exam?” +Evaluation: - Few of the students could understand and answer my questions but they used wrong form of simple past, had wrong final sounds of ED endings In addition, some of them kept silent because they could not speak English - I continued asking the others some questions about the usage of simple past tense, the time recognition, the form of verbs Most of them had difficulty in expressing the rule of simple past tense in English They could tell it quite well in Vietnamese Many of them still remembered the adverbs of time and irregular forms of the verbs but, most of them are confused when answering my questions 141 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University 6.4 Participatory learning (P2) - (60 minutes) After the step of Pre-assessment (P1), I could measure the students’ ability in interaction so that I could choose some suitable activities to improve their listening and speaking skills Activity 1: (30 minutes) The name of the activity was “The Last time” It consisted of the list as follows The last thing you bought The last book you read The last person you met The last song you heard The last present you sent The last sum of money you spent on The last time you went to the cinema The last joke you heard The last time you made mistakes The last letter you wrote The last time you took a risk The last time you told a lie The last time you were out alone The last time you felt sad The last time you kissed someone The last time you decided something The last game you played The last film you watched The last gift you received The last plan you carried - The whole class had to repeat the phrases above after me I tried to focus them on how to pronounce “ed” ending sounds - I checked and explained quickly ways of pronunciation “ed” ending sounds to the students again: /id, t, d/ - I asked the students to work in pairs Each pair chose item from the list above and had minutes to discuss it The list was shown on the screen and delivered to the students as well Then, I invited them to play the role in front of the class One was 142 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University an interviewer and another was an interviewee They had to ask more details about the items, for instance: The 1st conversation made by pair 1: Student A: What was the last gift you received? Student B: It was a bike Student A: Did you like it? Student B: Of course, I liked it very much Student A: When did you receive it? Student B: I received it last birthday Student A: Who gave you this gift? Student B: My parents gave it to me Student A: What color was it? Student B: It’s red Student A: Do you go to school by a bike every day? Student B: Yes, I Student A: Can you give me a ride home with your bike after class? Student A: Yes, sure See you at the school gate after class Student A: Thanks a lot See you then Rationale: The reason why I would like to use this activity is that the students at my class have to master the basic Grammar (simple past tense) as well as improve their language skills when they finish the course But, in reality they are poor at speaking These students have not got many chances to contact with English outside the classroom in which they spend most of their time on doing Grammar exercises or reading text for comprehension Moreover, most of them are afraid of losing face when speaking wrongly To the students, speaking skill is very important They need to improve it for their future career Therefore, after pre-assessment, I wanted to enable the students to apply their knowledge of grammar especially the simple past in order to exchange their personal information in the interview Evaluation: Most of the students were interested in the activity because the task was simple and relevant to their level and need They could be confident and free to exchange their personal information Of course, some students still made mistakes in the conversation I took notes these mistakes and showed them on the screen for the whole class to identify and correct Thanks to this activity, the students were able to 143 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University improve their basic language skills especially in speaking and listening by asking and answering the questions about past events Activity 2: (30 minutes) I divided the class into groups, then I distributed the pictures to each group before showing them the video clip about the true story They had to think of the actions that they might expect to find in each picture After that, they tried to arrange the pictures in their own ways by looking up dictionary for forms of verb in simple past for example: In picture 1: break (broke) into the house, steal (stole) pictures In picture 2: go (went) to the kitchen, open (opened) the fridge and take (took) the sandwich In picture 3: see (saw) bottles of champagne In picture 4: drink (drank) champagne In picture 5: go (went) up stairs, feel (felt) asleep In picture 6: police (come) came -I encouraged each group to use their own imagination to narrate orally the story in front of the class - Next, the video clip was shown and each group had minutes to make questions related to the content of the clip After that, I asked some group members to raise and answer the questions Questions Answers When did he break into the house? What did he steal? He broke into the house last night Was he hungry? He stole pictures Did he eat the sandwich in the kitchen? Yes, he was How many bottles of champagne did he drink? He drank bottles Because he was asleep Why did he go upstairs? Yes, he was Was he tired? He met the police Who did he meet when he woke up? 144 Yes, he did Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University -Then I asked the representatives of some groups to retell the story with their own memory and without looking at the pictures again Rationale: This activity helped the students brainstorm the words related to the story before listening to the clip It could create their critical thinking and improve their listening and speaking skills at the same time Evaluation: The students were very interested in this activity Some groups couldn’t put the pictures in correct orders as the clip, but they could imagine the story in their own ways A few of them still made some mistakes in making questions I helped them to recognize and correct the mistakes 2.6.6 Post assessment (P3) (15 minutes) -After giving the students activities for participation, I wanted to find out if the desired objectives of identifying and using simple past tense in communication at the beginning of the lesson were accomplished I continued asking the students to retell or make questions and responses about what they did the day before, their childhood, their last holidays, the pictures of past events/ festivals showed on the screen Evaluation: Although a few of the students were not able to use simple past tense in communication fluently and naturally, these activities was relevant to the level of the students Most of them could identify and apply simple past tense for expressing their thought which they could not before the lesson They gained more confidence in each task and had opportunities to practice listening and speaking without focusing too much the rules of the tense They could apply their grammatical knowledge in purposeful interaction and communication In addition, it enabled most of the students to become more motivated and independent language learners I could promote self-access learning both inside and outside the classroom 2.6.7 Summary (S) (5 minutes) To make sure the students could master simple past tense for communication after class, I tried to wrap it up by directing their attention to the content review such as the usage, the adverbs of time, the verb forms of simple past tense as well as some strategies of applying it for communication Next, I gave them some topics of speaking related to simple past tense for further practice with their classmates after class, then I asked them to prepare past perfect tense for the next lesson in advance 145 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University III Conclusion and suggestion: Lesson planning is a vital component of the teaching-learning process It makes teachers visualize their lessons before teaching and organize what comes next, which will help teacher avoid “dead zone” in class Teachers can choose many ways and models to design their lesson plans to reach objectives After attending the Instructional skill workshop held at Thu Dau Mot University, I cannot deny the effectiveness of applying BOPPPS model in designing lesson plans for teaching English as a foreign language I have tried steps of BOPPPS model for teaching my classes As the result, my students are really interested in the lessons They have made much progress in their study I am also very happy to share you how to apply BOPPPS model in designing a lesson plans Below is one of the example of a lesson plan template that may help you structure and organize your lesson Lesson Plan templates: LESSON PLAN A (BOPPPS/ISW – Instructional Skills Workshop) COURSE: Name of the course DATE: Date of course delivery BRIDGE: This section will include short simple activities that gain the learner’s attention and establish relevance to the course material, in essence “bridging” the gap between each lesson Examples include:   stories connected to lesson topic or theme making connections to what learners already know or what they are going to learn  posing provocative questions  state thought-provoking or unusual facts or assertions OBJECTIVE: Include specific statements related to program and course expectations Hint: Specify desired outcomes detailed enough that so that learning can be quantitatively measured The objective is usually written in a sentence which includes the following:  who (student or learner)  will what  under what conditions  and how well? 146 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University Example: The learner will correctly list all Canadian Provinces and Territories without referring to reference material PREASSESSMENT:     MATERIALS: Determines what already know learners Any materials that you may need to make the lesson successful i.e scissors, paper, whiteboard markers Reveals learner’s interests Allows learner’s the opportunity to express needs and seek clarification Helps instructor modify lesson to fit learner needs Strategies:  Oral question and answers  Quizzes or tests  Brainstorming activities PARTICIAPTORY LEARNING TIME INSTRUCTOR LEARNER RESOURCES Use this section to track the time it should take to complete lesson tasks and activities Use this section to outline interactions with instructor and learners; guidance or facilitation can vary Use this section to outline interactions among learners and learners, and among learners and the instructor Strategies: Strategies: Use this section to arrange resources that will be used during the session i.e SMART boards, URL links, videos, articles, etc   Pose questions Organize:  Facilitate discussions   147 small group discussions think-pairshare activities peer evaluations Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University  group tasks  role playing POST-ASSESSMENT: Communicates to the instructor what has been learned and if the desired objectives were met Strategies:  Basic Knowledge Multiple choice, true/false, matching, short-answer questions (written or verbal)  High Level thinking Problem solving, essays, critiques, analysis of scenarios or texts  Skill Checklists, rating scales, products, performance, demonstrations  Attitude Attitude scales, performance, essays, journals, reflection SUMMARY/CLOSURE Concludes the sessions and cumulatively ties the learning experience to future lessons Strategies:  Brief overview  “Last word” discussions  Action plan  Recognition of effort and achievement (http://www.lc2.ca/item/41-preparing-a-lesson-plan) REFERENCES Butt, D and Fahey R (2000) Using Functional Grammar: an Explorer’s Guide Sydney NCELTR Murphy, R.( 1999) Essential Grammar in Use 2nd edition The Youth Publisher Soars, J and L.( 2009 )Headway.OUP The Handbook of Introductional Skills Workshop (ISW) (2016) printed by Thu Dau Mot University 148 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University Thomson, A J and Martinet,A.V.(1992) A Practical English Grammar.4th edition.Oxford: OUP Thornbury,S.(1999) How to Teach Grammar Harlow Longman www.lc2.ca/item/41-preparing-a-lesson-plan www.prezi.com/biecinbmh1dy/the-boppps-model www.slais.ubc.ca/index.php/BOPPPs-Model 149 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University APPENDIX Because you loved me (Celion Dion) For all those times you stood by me For all the truth that you made me see For all the joy you brought to my life For all the wrong that you made right For every dream you made come true For all the love I found in you I'll be forever thankful baby You're the one who held me up Never let me fall You're the one who saw me through through it all You were my strength when I was weak You were my voice when I couldn't speak You were my eyes when I couldn't see You saw the best there was in me Lifted me up when I couldn't reach You gave me faith 'coz you believed I'm everything I am Because you loved me You gave me wings and made me fly You touched my hand I could touch the sky I lost my faith, you gave it back to me You said no star was out of reach You stood by me and I stood tall I had your love I had it all I'm grateful for each day you gave me Maybe I don't know that much But I know this much is true I was blessed because I was loved by you You were my strength when I was weak You were my voice when I couldn't speak You were my eyes when I couldn't see You saw the best there was in me Lifted me up when I couldn't reach You gave me faith 'coz you believed I'm everything I am 150 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University Because you loved me You were always there for me The tender wind that carried me A light in the dark shining your love into my life You've been my inspiration Through the lies you were the truth My world is a better place because of you You were my strength when I was weak You were my voice when I couldn't speak You were my eyes when I couldn't see You saw the best there was in me Lifted me up when I couldn't reach You gave me faith 'coz you believed I'm everything I am Because you loved me I'm everything I am Because you loved me 151 ... groups on Teaching and Improving Writing: Students’ perceptions Journal of Education and Information Technologies, 1(6), 87-96 47 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot. .. to the teaching and learning of British Culture in Thu Dau Mot University Description of the British Culture class 37 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University. .. lack of attention, etc Based on specific situations, the 49 Action Research on Teaching and Assessment for Learning Thu Dau Mot University & Petro Vietnam University speakers employ at least one